diff --git a/admin/main.php b/admin/main.php
index 049e5a8..000b741 100644
--- a/admin/main.php
+++ b/admin/main.php
@@ -111,13 +111,13 @@ class admin_plugin_luxtools_main extends DokuWiki_Admin_Plugin
         echo '<legend>' . hsc($this->getLang('legend')) . '</legend>';
 
         // paths: multiline textarea
-        $paths = (string)$this->getConf('paths');
+        $paths = $this->normalizeMultilineDisplay((string)$this->getConf('paths'), 'paths');
         echo '<label class="block"><span>' . hsc($this->getLang('paths')) . '</span><br />';
         echo '<textarea name="paths" rows="8" cols="80" class="edit">' . hsc($paths) . '</textarea>';
         echo '</label><br />';
 
         // scratchpad_paths: multiline textarea
-        $scratchpadPaths = (string)$this->getConf('scratchpad_paths');
+        $scratchpadPaths = $this->normalizeMultilineDisplay((string)$this->getConf('scratchpad_paths'), 'scratchpad_paths');
         echo '<label class="block"><span>' . hsc($this->getLang('scratchpad_paths')) . '</span><br />';
         echo '<textarea name="scratchpad_paths" rows="6" cols="80" class="edit">' . hsc($scratchpadPaths) . '</textarea>';
         echo '</label><br />';
@@ -338,4 +338,24 @@ class admin_plugin_luxtools_main extends DokuWiki_Admin_Plugin
 
         return var_export($value, true);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Strip nowdoc markers from values when displaying in the admin form.
+     *
+     * @param string $value
+     * @param string $key
+     * @return string
+     */
+    protected function normalizeMultilineDisplay(string $value, string $key): string
+    {
+        $marker = strtoupper('LUXTOOLS_' . preg_replace('/[^A-Z0-9_]/i', '_', $key) . '_EOT');
+        $prefix = "<<<'$marker'\n";
+        $suffix = "\n$marker";
+
+        if (str_starts_with($value, $prefix) && str_ends_with($value, $suffix)) {
+            return substr($value, strlen($prefix), -strlen($suffix));
+        }
+
+        return $value;
+    }
 }